Tomorrow I am off to Værøy!!! 😊 😊

This will be my first trip since 2019 and I am super excited. I will have 4 full days birds birding and have chosen to take the ferry rather than the helicopter from Bodø which will reduce the available birding time on the arrival and departure days but will hopefully give some seabirds. It will be fantastic being there in the company of good friends and sharp birders but I have to admit that the weather forecast doesn’t leave me with high hopes for any big rarities. But as long as I get to see, but more importantly hear, a Yellow-browed Warbler then I think I will be happy.

The last week has been quiet on the birding front around Oslo with summer migrants thinning out very quickly with just a few Swallows, Chiffchaffs, White Wagtails and Blackcaps left but I did pay another visit to the Taiga Bean Geese yesterday and found 101 birds which is the same as my previous count and shows no new arrivals and also none seem to have been shot (or perished of natural reasons). I have always expected that they may be shot at by pot lucky local hunters but this year at least that doesn’t seem to be the case as in addition to their numbers being unchanged there have also been no sudden and unexpected changes in roost pond or feeding field.

a family of Taiga Bean Geese with the two young in the middle

and another family of four

they were using a new field which was readily visible from a road and a few Canada Geese were mixed in with them

viewing from the road

the Maridalen Whooper Swan (sangsvane) family. After failed breeding last year they have 3 large young this year (down from four that hatched). I have not seen them since 4 September and have no idea of where they have been as the young probably can still not fly. I did see a picture of one of the young walking over a car park and I suspect that the whole family may have gone on a long walk through the forest somewhere.

the young are still far from fully grown and it would surprise me if they can fly yet

The adult Med Gull (svatehavsmåke) was again at Fornebu today - can you spot him?

perhaps a bit easier in this shot